The use of flexible bags is wide spread and in particular in the field of lawn and garden maintenance. It is desirable to provide a device for supporting a bag while it is being filled with lawn and garden refuse and the like. Accordingly various bag holders have been proposed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,839 issued to Harry C. Stevens on Oct. 22, 1991 shows a bag holder having a pair of circular support members interconnected by a pair of legs. Each leg pivots at its connection to the circular support members and at its mid point. Accordingly the bag holder can be collapsed into a folded position. This bag holder would be relatively expensive to manufacture because of the detail of each hinge, point. As well, this bag holder would take up a relatively large amount of space when it is transported because of the air space in the centre of the collapsed device.
Another bag holder is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,967 issued to Austin E. Johnson on Feb. 13, 1990. This bag holder has a circular member, an inner tube-type member, a plurality of arcuate members, a plurality of vertical members clipped to the arcuate members and a plurality of clamps to hold the device together. A bag is supported between the inner tube-type member and the arcuate members. The vertical members haw a pointed bottom end so that the members can be driven into the ground. To store the device the vertical members are simply detached from the arcuate members. This device is limited because it can only be used in locations where the vertical members can be driven into the ground. Therefore it could not be used on a terrace, a deck or inside. As well, since the plurality of members are not attached together it would be easy to misplace a member when the device is not in use.
Another bag holder is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,801 issued to Frederick L. Ehner on Jun. 12, 1979. This bag holder has a circular top support; member, a circular bottom support member and three vertical members releasably connecting the top member to the bottom member. A plurality of attaching joint members connect the members together. The device is designed to be knocked down into its various elements for storage. When the device is knocked down and stored however it would be easy to lose a member.
Taken alone or in combination none of these bag holders show a device which is relatively easy to assemble, relatively easy and cost effective to manufacture, and need not be taken apart to store.